As Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant marks its 25th anniversary this year, the women behind the iconic food chain, including several key female employees who rose form the ranks, look back with joy and gratitude at the opportunities and sense of fulfillment that have come their way for being part of its growing team.
Behind every successful man is a woman. It seems the same is true for many successful companies in the Philippines. Take the case of Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant. Behind the food chain’s success are three women, and behind them are even more women who have risen from the ranks within the company.
“They are God-sent!”
That’s how Angie Conti-Martinez, one of the three sisters who founded the popular food chain, described their employees in a feature story late last year to mark the brand’s 24th anniversary.
The other sisters chimes in. “Some of our employees have been with us from way back since we opened at home,” Cecile Conti-Maranon noted. “We really trained them. Cooking is labor-intensive, but it’s just so fulfilling to see your employees uplift their lives.”
For her part, Carole Conti-Sumulong attributed the success of Conti’s to their workforce. “Their humility and hard work made Conti’s what it is today, so thanks to all of them,” she says.
The feeling is very mutual. “I was the first employee allowed to be a working student, and I am grateful to Conti’s and the three sisters for that,“ notes Admin and Operations Manager Ivy Par, who was still taking up college when she got a part-time job as an office assistant in 2003.
That’s almost two full decades now. In the corporate world, that’s a lifetime or even two lifetimes of loyalty to one company. And Ivy is not even the one with the longest stay at Conti’s. Other employees have been around for longer, including Imelda Mica who is set to celebrate her 21st anniversary with the company this September.
Imelda is a graduate of Punlaan School, a vocational-technical institution specializing in hospitality and culinary arts that offers scholarship programs for underprivileged young women. Conti’s has been a partner since 2000, the year Imelda finished high school and took up a Food & Beverage course in Punlaan.
It wasn’t only natural for her to work in Conti’s, it also felt right. “Ang mga founders ng Conti’s ay isa sa hinahangaan ko, ‘yung pagiging masipag at matiyaga nila at ‘yung pagiging maka-Diyos,” notes the Junior Branch Manager.
It’s this same faith in divine providence that Babylyn Paulino considers one of the secrets to her success at Conti’s. “Naniniwala ako sa in God’s perfect time,” she says. “Gaya ko na galing sa rank and file, hanggang ngayon teary-eyed pa rin ako sa success at opportunity na binigay sa akin sa Conti’s.”
Babylyn’s 16-year Conti’s story started behind the cash register at the Greenhills branch in 2006. She now holds the position of Junior Cluster Manager. “After 14 years, ang pagpupursige ko at hard work ay nasuklian ng magandang posisyon.”
That’s synergy feeds off of each other and not only between the Conti’s management and the employees, but also on the customers.
“The company is not just after sales,” Ivy notes. “That comes naturally when our customers are happy. ‘Yun po ang palaging sinasabi sa amin nila Ma’am Angie.”
Imelda echoes the same. She says, ”Hindi lang sa product, pati sa service. Itinuro din nila ang pagbibigay ng magandang serbisyo sa customer para lalong makilala ang Conti’s.”
As for Babylyn, two of the most important lessons she has learned at Conti’s, on top of the skills, are the values of discipline and integrity. “Balewala ang mga itinuturo sa amin kung walang disiplina dahil nasa tao naman talaga nakasalalay kung anong magiging result ng trabaho,” she notes. “‘Yung integrity, dito nasusukat ang pagiging matatag ng isang tao.”
The same could very well be said for brands like Conti’s.
To know more about Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant, visit their website at http://www.contis.ph/ or check out their official Facebook (@contisph) and Instagram (@contis_ph) pages.
